How Pre-Production Solutions Can Still Cause Chaos In Production?

We manage to find two replacement male actors just in time for production and the secondary assistant camera (AC) also agreed to take the place of the primary AC who had to drop out due to an illness. Now, it’s the day before production. I’m getting the final preparations in place such as wardrobe, props, picking up camera equipment and dropping the equipment off with Simon (DP) so he can inspect their bodies to make sure they’re in proper working order.

A few hours later, I’m back at the DP’s house to pick him up to head to the first location for our shoot in Hagerstown which was two hours away. As he was loading up all of the equipment I rented for him plus his own, I finally realized why he was so popular. He had a lot of equipment! And he took his time with how he packed everything. After about twenty minutes of packing, we were finally off.

The first location was set to take place in a basement which was structured like no other. It sort of looked like a dungeon but cleaner. I was able to find this location through Morgen (Director) who found it on a website called Giggster. As I’m driving, I couldn’t help but think about the crew members. It’s November, it’s cold, and we were going to be in a basement for 6-7 hours. I should’ve brought portable heaters.

Eventually we pull into the driveway of the location after many twists and turns. It’s a white house with a red door on a huge plot of land. Seconds later, Mark (AD) approaches us and immediately instructs me to head inside for hair and makeup while he helps Simon unload the equipment. I open the door and I was shocked. The interior resembled that of a palace. It was pristine! It looked like an upgraded version of its original structure when it was patented (bought) in the year 1779 by a Colonel.

But even as I had so many questions for the owner, I had to look past it and jump into the makeup chair with Sara. For the first time in weeks, I felt relaxed. Fast forward, it’s 4pm and it’s a wrap for the day. Everything went smoothly and I realized that minimal number of scenes per shoot day = less stress.

Now, it’s day 2 of shooting. My anxiousness is through the roof. We were going to be shooting outside all day and we still couldn’t find a secondary car. I get dressed and head over to pick up the car that I already had in stock. I go to turn on the ignition to warm the car up and the engine doesn’t start. (You’ve got to be kidding me!). After a few more turns of the ignition – still nothing. I manage to find someone with some jump cables – still nothing. The person suggests pouring Pepsi or Coca-Cola on the problematic area. (Huh? Pepsi? Coca-Cola?).

We manage to find a can of Pepsi and pour some of it on the problematic area under the hood, re-insert the jump cables and what do you know? The engine starts up perfectly. But I knew I couldn’t risk anyone’s safety, not even my own. So, I decided to leave the car behind and work with the director to re-strategize. I finally make it to the shoot where everyone awaited my arrival. I set up for the first scene and I notice that the AC who agreed to take the place of the initial AC was nowhere to be found.

I ask Morgen where the AC was only to find out that he decided to drop out of the project the night before. (Seriously?). As I stood there, I had to come to the realization that the DP wasn’t going to have any proper help!

Other posts you may be interested in:

• How Important Is Production Design In Film?
• How Important Is Visual Effects In Film?
• How Second Chances Can Lead To Film Success?

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